Bishop Hill from Glen Vale

A 7 to 8 mile circuit to the summit of Bishop Hill approaching from Glenvale. The route can be extended to include the summit of Munduff Hill or reduced by returning via Glenvale rather than Glenlomond.

Bishop Hill ascent

Glider above Bishop Hill

East Lomond from Bishop Hill

Start from the small car park at Glenvale on Dryside Road, near Gateside (grid ref NO 173 069).

Turn right out of the car park and walk down the road for 200m to reach a gate on your left hand side at the foot of the Glenvale path. Head up this path which has recently (time of writing July 2016) been resurfaced and offers lovely views of the hills in front of you. The path gradually gains height as it reaches Glenvale proper. Here, the main path crosses over the river to the south side (the path on the north side was closed due to rockfalls). Continue on the path passing John Knox’s pulpit on the opposite side of the river. Where the path starts to flatten off, look for an “easy open” gate on your right hand side.

Go through this gate and pick up a reasonably well defined but unsurfaced path going up hill in a generally southerly direction. At a fence junction, the path turns to the right and continues up hill through a “lumpy” area with old wind sculpted larch trees. Keep on the path as it crosses a small burn and turns leftwards to gain the ridge of Bishop Hill.

Once on the ridge you will be following an obvious path in a southerly direction which passes through a gate. About 300m beyond the gate, the summit cone of Bishop Hill rises slightly off to your left. Head up to the summit on this final section which is a bit steep but short.

From the summit you have the option of extending your walk across to Munduff Hill, close to the golf ball, if you wish. The easiest way is to follow the direct path from the summit which leads off in a south south easterly direction, crossing a fence at a stile.

If not extending the walk, then leave the summit in a westerly direction and head across to the fence. Turn right (northwards). If you stick close to the fence rather than staying on the more obvious path you will be rewarded with views of Carlin Maggie. The path and fence quickly join together and you can head back in the direction from which you came.

This time, do not turn right to follow the path downhill through the trees but stay on the ridge. At the end of the ridge, the path descends steeply downhill back into Glenvale at the river crossing. If you want to shorten the walk, you can simply head back down to the river and pick up the path back down Glenvale to the road. If you want a longer walk however, look for an “easy open” gate on your left leading into a field.

After the gate, cross the field and pick up a grassy track. Turn left (southwards) on this track which you can follow for just over a km passing a sheep fank and communications mast. About 250m after the mast, at the edge of a field on your right, is another track which follows field edges back to Dryside Road.

The walk back along Dryside Road to the Glenvale car park is about 2.5km but it is a quiet road.

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Information provided on this website was correct to the best of the author’s knowledge at the time of publication. When deciding whether or not to walk a route the information provided should only be considered as a guide. You walks the routes at your own risk and should assess current hazards for yourself. Some walks are off path and may require navigation skills and some walks are in remote areas away from civilisation. You should ensure that you are properly equipped for the walk you undertake especially if doing higher level routes. Whilst we do have a right of responsible access in Scotland, in practise access issues can occasionally still be encountered.